4 ms·

We're living in strange days, and it's only gonna get weirder. NPR aired a pull your punches interview with a white supremacist today, the New York Times is pub

We're living in strange days, and it's only gonna get weirder. NPR aired a pull your punches interview with a white supremacist today, the New York Times is publishing doublespeak missives from what increasingly appears to be either the useful idiots or willing collaborators of Russian intelligence services. It's like Trump malware has turned the mainstream media into a spam-serving botnet for a league of fascists.

mc32 10y ago
That NPR bit was to associate Trump's rise as a consequence of the alt-right and their (racist) view of America. It's not that they pulled punches, it's that they want to alarm non alt-rights to make it look like they are taking over the Republican party. If NRP were on the right, they'd get something along the lines of black-power revolution types up there and let them go off and make it look like all Dems are like that. It's a mechanism to show the worst group of one side and associate it with a mainstream group so as to pollute the opinion of the mainstream group.
- alphonsegaston 10y ago
  I understand that this was their intent, but this in no way seemed to me be the effect (not to mention that this strategy has already proven entirely incapable of checking the rise of Trump). The strategy of the alt-right is to couch Neo-Nazi ideology with just enough politeness and intellectual poise as to entice "ordinary people" into their ranks, further normalizing their cause. If you're well-mannered accountant is commenting on Breitbart while you gather together your tax documents, how bad can they really be? Fascist groups know they need white collar members, because the thugs are the first things they have to sacrifice when they gain real political power (both to appease military and law enforcement institutions as well as to demonstrate that they've shed their brutish origins). The only way to counter it is to give these guys enough rope to hang themselves, and then openly and clearly expose their intellectual dishonesty and historical record. This requires a far greater skill at interviewing and rhetoric than is on display anywhere at NPR. The harshest rebuff the interviewer gave Spencer was something along the lines of "but don't people of all races get along on the NYC subway?" Spencer walked away from that interview quite happy with the seeds he planted.
  - mc32 10y ago
    I dunno, I think McEvers did alright. Except for people who would already identify with Spencer, I don't think anyone would think he was normal in anyway. She let him hang himself well.
rdtsc 10y ago
> malware has turned the mainstream media into a spam-serving botnet for a league of fascists. Because they published an article about Wikileaks, they are now spreading fascism? You really believe that?
wahern 10y ago
NPR always pulls their punches because they receive, indirectly, government funding. Notwithstanding that Republicans will accuse them of liberal bias regardless of what NPR does, I actually appreciate that NPR is so earnest and conspicuous about it. Sometimes what's not said is as important as what is said. Which isn't to say that I'm reading between the lines. What I mean is that it communicates something substantive about what partisans consider disputed, and does so in a very simple and convenient manner. The fact that NPR reporting is so darned good despite their self-imposed constraints is a testament to the quality of their journalism, I think. Even Anton Scalia listened to NPR news, and he avoided most of the supposed liberal media.
noobermin 10y ago
The mainstream media cares about access to the elites. Now that they are in power, they will lift them up and hide things that hurt that access.

mc32 10y ago

That NPR bit was to associate Trump's rise as a consequence of the alt-right and their (racist) view of America. It's not that they pulled punches, it's that they want to alarm non alt-rights to make it look like they are taking over the Republican party. If NRP were on the right, they'd get something along the lines of black-power revolution types up there and let them go off and make it look like all Dems are like that. It's a mechanism to show the worst group of one side and associate it with a mainstream group so as to pollute the opinion of the mainstream group.

alphonsegaston 10y ago
I understand that this was their intent, but this in no way seemed to me be the effect (not to mention that this strategy has already proven entirely incapable of checking the rise of Trump). The strategy of the alt-right is to couch Neo-Nazi ideology with just enough politeness and intellectual poise as to entice "ordinary people" into their ranks, further normalizing their cause. If you're well-mannered accountant is commenting on Breitbart while you gather together your tax documents, how bad can they really be? Fascist groups know they need white collar members, because the thugs are the first things they have to sacrifice when they gain real political power (both to appease military and law enforcement institutions as well as to demonstrate that they've shed their brutish origins). The only way to counter it is to give these guys enough rope to hang themselves, and then openly and clearly expose their intellectual dishonesty and historical record. This requires a far greater skill at interviewing and rhetoric than is on display anywhere at NPR. The harshest rebuff the interviewer gave Spencer was something along the lines of "but don't people of all races get along on the NYC subway?" Spencer walked away from that interview quite happy with the seeds he planted.
- mc32 10y ago
  I dunno, I think McEvers did alright. Except for people who would already identify with Spencer, I don't think anyone would think he was normal in anyway. She let him hang himself well.

rdtsc 10y ago

> malware has turned the mainstream media into a spam-serving botnet for a league of fascists. Because they published an article about Wikileaks, they are now spreading fascism? You really believe that?

wahern 10y ago

NPR always pulls their punches because they receive, indirectly, government funding. Notwithstanding that Republicans will accuse them of liberal bias regardless of what NPR does, I actually appreciate that NPR is so earnest and conspicuous about it. Sometimes what's not said is as important as what is said. Which isn't to say that I'm reading between the lines. What I mean is that it communicates something substantive about what partisans consider disputed, and does so in a very simple and convenient manner. The fact that NPR reporting is so darned good despite their self-imposed constraints is a testament to the quality of their journalism, I think. Even Anton Scalia listened to NPR news, and he avoided most of the supposed liberal media.

noobermin 10y ago

The mainstream media cares about access to the elites. Now that they are in power, they will lift them up and hide things that hurt that access.